Anyone Good With Diagnosing Computer Problems?

[billt]

flynlr,

I can live with that. It looks like a nice Modem. How long will it be considered, "current technology"? That is always the $64,000.00 dollar question.   Bill T.

[Pathfinder]

flynlr,

I can live with that. It looks like a nice Modem. How long will it be considered, "current technology"? That is always the $64,000.00 dollar question.   Bill T.

Until about 5 minutes after you buy it. 

Just set your mind to this fact, and anything computer-related will be fine. Else you drive yourself crazy waiting for the next BIG thing so as to try to be state of the art.

Besides, some of the servers used at my former company were 10 years old. The just upgraded the memory and hard drives and it's all good. They weren't hi performance machines, actually some still had 386s in them.

[philw]

We're not sure yet. Melanie will need everything. Monitor, keyboard, computer, speakers, etc. I'm good for everything, and just need the computer. We'll look around in a few weeks. All I know is no more AMD Processor for me! This thing has been quirky since the first day I plugged it in. It does weird things I've never had an Intel unit do. For example, if I have You Tube on the task bar playing music, and open mail and click to a link, say here to read a post, it will kill whatever is on the task bar. This thing crashes with all too frequent regularity. It will recover, then be fine for several weeks, then out of the blue comes the infamous "blue screen of death!" Anyway, I'll stick with Intel.

I have no brand loyalty per say. This is a HP, but the one before it was a Sony Vaio, and it was fine except the drives went out, (wouldn't open), and it really sucked the way they had the hard drive "partitioned". If I tried moving things from "C" drive to "D" drive, things would get screwed up badly. I'm seeing some really good prices on desktops so we should be able to get everything we need without a whole lot of damage. Especially after the holidays when everyone is spent out.  Bill T.

hmmm   if it is not that old  
how much ram is in it   also the HD,  I would replace it in the PC  or just re-format it   seems to me that there is a problem with the formatting ( Back up first)   with how cheap drive are  I would just get a new one though,  that is what I did  first signs of issues  I went and got a 1tb drive in to it  as the old HD was a few years old  and the puter runs 24/7.  
amazing it was nice and quick again  and no issues since. also I added more ram in it   ( now has the Max ram it can take,   Lappy will be next when I have the $$$ )




for a new Puter
ok  intel it is then  

have I got a Computer for you....       ( Sledge STFU )  

if it is just  email / internet  / Family Photos

then have you considered an iMac http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB950LL/A?mco=MTM3NDc2NDc
for you it is a little over the 1K  mark   and will do everything you need  

also  if you need to transfer your data / email from the PC  there is a product by belkin that will make it Sooooo much easier    

then you won't need to worry about Virus's as much  / winblows security issues,   and they work well
also if there you have a requirement to run windows for a particular program  then you can also still run windows on it via Parallels, VM ware  ( with out re-starting the puter)  or Apple's Bootcamp  ( makes it 2 computers in 1 )

if you look at the Mac option  then  for a router I would go a Time Capsule   as it gives you N-Spec wireless  and a router,  it also has the a 1TB  or 2TB Server Hard Drive in it  and that will work with Time Machine  with in the Mac OS,  this is an Auto Back up software that will back up any changes you have done,   it is a set and for get system  until you need to get a file you deleted or if the HD dies



however you being you having all the FUN GUNS

they have a 27" one as well   http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MB952LL/A?mco=MTM3NDc2NDg   I don't think you need the i7 CPU though with what you would be using it for though

[billt]

I'm afraid of Mac. Only because I know so little about it.  Bill T.

[philw]

Cheap desktops are exactly that - cheap desktops, small drives, limited memory, poor (and I mean POOR) graphics.

You can get good desktops for under a thousand, even if you go Intel duocore - a wise move BTW. My son who is anti-mainstream anything even said to stay away from AMD and go Intel when he built my new desktop a year or so ago. I'm partial to HP, if only because so many businesses I know go HP for their servers rather than anything else.

Of course, for ultimate performance, you can go Intel quadcore - 4 processors instead of 2 in the duo. And top-end nVidia cards, dual graphics cards if you do a lot of gaming. It will cost a little bit more than a grand (and by a "little bit" I mean 2-5 times more than a grand!  )

Also, stay away from 1TB drives - they have reports in the industry of being fragile and flakey - proven out in my case where I have never had a HD crash in almost 2 decades of computers - until I got a 1TB drive, which crashed a year-plus into use. I now have 2 500GB drives.

all depends  I have  a couple of 1TB drives  and touch wood no issues,  and I have also sold heaps  as well


I have replaced countless Hard drives   and most have not been 1TB drives  mostly  Deathstar 320GB's  recently  or  80 / 120 GB 2.5" drives

recently  got in a 2.5"  256gb Solid state   drive and it did not pass the initial testing  spoke with  supplier  and these drives are a little dodgy at the moment as well,  as they have been getting a lot to fail   the 128gb or less are good though

[Sponsor]

[philw]

I'm afraid of Mac. Only because I know so little about it.  Bill T.

I find they are very incurtive to use,    it will take a little while to get used to the interface

however it is soo simple 

take photos,   connect camera,  iPhoto opens and asks to import them all or selected ones 

once imported  it will auto split them up to events ( say you have been away to a wedding on one day  then the next a trip to the local range  it will group the photos together that were taken to the range)

if you have used iTunes  think what iTunes is to Music, iPhoto is for images )


if you have an Apple Re-seller  or Apple Store near they should be able to show you how they work  and let you have a good go using it before getting one.   

[Woody]

ATT came out and replaced our modem recently. Did the same thing.

[Texas_Bryan]

I'm afraid of Mac. Only because I know so little about it.  Bill T.

There for the devil worshiping...or Australians.

Of course, for ultimate performance, you can go Intel quadcore - 4 processors instead of 2 in the duo. And top-end nVidia cards, dual graphics cards if you do a lot of gaming. It will cost a little bit more than a grand (and by a "little bit" I mean 2-5 times more than a grand!  )

Also, stay away from 1TB drives - they have reports in the industry of being fragile and flakey - proven out in my case where I have never had a HD crash in almost 2 decades of computers - until I got a 1TB drive, which crashed a year-plus into use. I now have 2 500GB drives.

That's what I got.  Ran $1700.  And I will agree that having two redundant smaller hard drives are better than one big drive that you never fully use.  RAID arrays are the best for that.